In my prior co-pending application, a method was described for using dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) as a topical product to increase the production of sebum and thereby retard or reduce skin dryness. That method involved administering topically to the area of dry skin of the patient an effective amount of DHEA and/or a pharmaceutically acceptable, therapeutically effective derivative thereof. The DHEA could be administered in a non-toxic dermatologically acceptable vehicle, such as a tincture, cream, ointment, or gel.
It has been found, however, that there are concentrations at which DHEA is used in treating dry skin such that the increase in sebum has been accompanied by or associated with the formation of acne-like skin lesions in people who have the genetic tendency for acne. Conventional over-the-counter preparations for treating acne generally act as drying agents and exfoliators, which are generally irritating to the skin and counterproductive to the general treatment of dry skin. According, it would be advantageous to have a composition which could counteract the formation of acne-like skin lesions without diminishing the effectiveness of DHEA in improving the sebaceous gland activity of the skin.
It has been reported that alpha-hydroxycarboxyclic acids such as glycolic, tartaric, lactic and mandelic acid have been reported in the literture to be effect keratolytic agents. See e.g., E. J. Van Scott and R. J. Yu, "Substances that Modify the Stratum Corneum by Modulating its Formation", Chapter 10 of Principles of Cosmetics for the Dermatologist, edited by Philip Frost and Stephen N. Horwitz. Moreover, salicylic acid (orthohydroxybenzoic acid) is a known keratolyic agent present in an amount of about 2 percent by weight in over-the-counter preparations such as "PERMOX", "FOSTEX" and "FOSTRIL", used in the treatment of acne. However, these known exfoliators have not to applicant's knowledge been used in preparations to prevent acne formation.